Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Since we got this old-fashioned bicycle, even if we pedal all the way back from Fengzeyuan, it only takes a little over half an hour, which is very fast.

The car had just stopped in front of Hongxing Primary School when the school bell rang.

The crowd surged forward, and He Yushui immediately spotted her brother. Her face lit up with a smile, and she skipped over, shouting, "That's my brother! My brother came to pick me up on his bicycle!"

The clear, loud shout drew the attention of all the children and parents around, who turned to look at the bicycle with their eyes glued to it. Back then, a brand-new Forever brand bicycle was comparable to a BMW X5 today.

What's even more astonishing is that the young man riding the bike looks to be in his early twenties at most, with a calm demeanor and a mature air about him.

If He Yuzhu heard this, he would definitely roll his eyes and curse—he's only sixteen! He just has a broad frame and a cold face, looking like a gangster.

"Rain, come up!"

He Yuzhu grinned, then scooped up his sister and gently placed her on the back seat, saying, "Hold on tight, don't let go." Before he finished speaking, he slammed on the pedal, and the car shot off like an arrow.

Passersby glanced at them as the little girl, wrapped her arms around his waist, laughed heartily, and kept urging him, "Brother, faster! Faster!" The wind whistled past their ears, and in less than a quarter of an hour, the gate of the courtyard house came into view.

As soon as they entered the front yard, the three aunties pounced out like cats smelling fish, their voices rising so loudly that the whole yard erupted in chaos:

"Hey, Pillar! Where did this bicycle come from?!"

The shout was so powerful that windows in all directions were pushed open with a "bang," and heads popped out one after another, crowding around as if they were watching a spectacle.

"Pillar, did you buy this?"

"My goodness, this is a bicycle? The two wheels are so big and shiny, they're so beautiful..."

He Yuzhu was surrounded by a crowd, but he still had a smile on his face and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Uncles, aunts and uncles, this is what my father bought for me. It will make it easier for me to pick up and drop off rainwater in the future."

I'm in a rush to get home for dinner, please make way!

When someone tentatively asked if he had borrowed it, he just smiled and didn't say a word.

—This car must not be said to be borrowed!

Having been neighbors in this courtyard for decades in his past life, how could he not understand these people's thoughts? Today you say you want to borrow, and tomorrow someone will come to your door with a child: "Zhu Zi, my wife is about to give birth, can I borrow your car to take her to the hospital?" The day after tomorrow, a house repairman will come: "Can I borrow a rope to tie to the car to haul materials?" The reasons could fill eighteen comic books.

The neighborhood committee is a public institution, so it follows some rules in its work; but these neighbors are as thin-skinned as paper, yet as thick-skinned as walls.

He Yuzhu chuckled as he pushed the cart and squeezed his way through the crowd, finally managing to get from the front yard to the middle garden.

The people here weren't idle either. As soon as they saw something interesting, they all swarmed over, craning their necks and standing on tiptoe to get a look.

He repeated his usual explanation: "My dad, He Daqing, bought it for me." His tone was casual, but his eyes revealed an undeniable confidence.

Qin Huairu was wringing out her clothes by the pool when she looked up and saw the shiny bicycle. A hint of envy flashed in her eyes.

These days, a sewing machine is enough to be included in a dowry, let alone a bicycle? It's practically a symbol of status within the family.

Jia Zhangshi and her son Jia Dongxu also crawled out of the house.

Jia Zhangshi's eyes fell on the car, and her heart skipped a beat. Jealousy flared up instantly—why? Why could the He family father and son afford such an expensive item? My Dongxu is a level-two fitter at the steel rolling mill, a proper skilled worker. Why hasn't the factory rewarded him with one?

The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became. She rushed forward, blocking the car, hands on her hips, mouth agape:

"Silly Zhu! You bought a bicycle, you should also consider the neighbors! Let my Dongxu ride it for a couple of days to practice!"

He Yuzhu's smile vanished instantly, his eyes turned cold, and his voice was low yet sharp:

"You let your son ride my car? Why don't you bring out your sewing machine for everyone to use? Last time I borrowed it, you not only charged me five cents, but you also stood there nagging for half an hour, complaining that I stepped on it too hard or sat on it crookedly."

"Now you suddenly want to borrow a car?"

Madam Jia immediately flew into a rage, shrieking, "My son is a level-two fitter! For him to ride your stupid kid's beat-up bike is an insult! Letting him touch this wheel is a miracle!"

He Yuzhu sneered and retorted mercilessly:

"Bah! If you're so capable, buy it yourself! All you do is throw tantrums and act like an elder. Let me tell you, I'll lend this car to anyone, but not your Jia family! Don't even mention riding it, you're not allowed to touch it! A level two fitter, so what? Six years and still stuck at level two. Your son is truly something else!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a man suddenly stepped out from the crowd. It was Yi Zhonghai, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly, and he said in a deep voice:

"Silly Zhu! How dare you talk to your Aunt Jia like that? She's your elder!"

"Hurry up and apologize to your Aunt Jia! This is a civilized courtyard, where respect for elders and care for the young are valued—how can the younger generation talk back to their elders? They need to know the rules!"

Yi Zhonghai immediately adopted the demeanor of a "life mentor," spouting a string of grand principles.

He was a level-six fitter at the steel rolling mill and also the manager of Zhongyuan. Just standing there, he exuded an aura of authority.

Even if others don't understand, they have to pretend to understand and nod vigorously, just because they're afraid that the other person has power and is right.

But He Yuzhu had heard enough—in his previous life, he was driven to desperation by this set of "civilized" rules and ended up freezing to death under a bridge; while this kind old man in front of him lived a comfortable old age and died in peace, and even pushed him into the Jia family's fire pit, leaving him without a place to erect a tombstone after his death!

Thinking of this, a surge of anger rushed to my head.

"Apologize?" He Yuzhu sneered, her voice suddenly rising. "What do I need to apologize for? Did I do something wrong? Said something wrong? Her family won't lend out their sewing machine, so why should my bicycle join in? Should I let her son ride it or am I doing her a favor? We're all workers wielding hammers and spatulas, who's more noble than whom? Is Jia Dongxu some kind of prince descended from the imperial palace?"

Yi Zhonghai's face immediately darkened, and he quickly interrupted, "I didn't say you were wrong! I said your attitude was bad! How can a junior yell at an elder? What kind of behavior is this!"

"What did Jia Zhangshi mean by saying, 'We're doing you a favor by using your car'?" He Yuzhu pressed on, his voice rising without lowering. "Even within the working class, there are different classes? Am I, the cook, inferior to her?"

One sentence from him left Yi Zhonghai speechless, his face turning pale and then flushed.

Just as he was about to argue again, the door was pushed open with a loud bang.

He Daqing came out carrying a pipe, his brows furrowed: "Old Yi, how come my son doesn't respect his elders? Jia Zhangshi's surname is Zhang, and mine is He. We're not even related, so why should he call her 'aunt'? Does being older mean you can treat her like an ancestor? Then I'll raise an old turtle, and if it lives to a hundred, will you kneel down and call it 'great-grandfather'?"

Before he finished speaking, several suppressed laughs suddenly rang out in the courtyard.

"We're just ordinary neighbors, don't act like you're so important!" He Daqing became increasingly angry as he spoke. "Want to ride a bike? Go buy one yourself! This one is for Zhuzi to catch rainwater, not for you to run errands for!"

Yi Zhonghai's face turned a deep purplish-red from the barrage of criticism. His finger trembled as he pointed at He Daqing, and he opened his mouth for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word.

He couldn't win an argument, and he dared not even resort to violence—this father and son were a burly man and a hot-tempered man; if they really got into a fight, he wouldn't even be able to mend a window.

Looking again, the Jia family mother and son had already quietly slipped back into the house, leaving Qin Huairu standing alone by the pool, looking both embarrassed and innocent.

Those who were just standing by and supporting him turned away and shut their doors in the blink of an eye. Yi Zhonghai felt a chill run down his spine—what was he to them? A clown jumping around on the beam?

"Hmph! Unreasonable! I don't care anymore!"

After saying that, he abruptly turned around, flicked his sleeves, and before he could even hold the teacup properly, it slammed onto the threshold with a loud thud before he scrambled back into the house.

The onlookers dispersed as the spectacle came to an end.

"Zhu Zi, come back and cook!" He Daqing shouted into the courtyard.

"Okay, Dad!" He Yuzhu replied loudly, pushing his bicycle to go inside.

At this moment, Yan Bugui, who had been silent all along, suddenly jumped out with a big smile: "Zhuzi, come here, let me help you push the cart! You go and cook, don't delay your business!"

His eyes were glued to that old-fashioned bicycle, and he longed to touch it with his own hands.

For the past few years, I've been very frugal and reluctant to buy tickets, always thinking that tickets would become more readily available and prices would drop next year, but every year my hopes have been dashed.

Now that I see the real thing, I feel an irresistible urge to scratch at it.

He Yuzhu had no idea about his little scheme. Otherwise, he would have patted him on the shoulder and advised: "Take advantage of the fact that you can still buy a new car now! Wait a few years? Forget about new cars, you'll have to queue up to buy even a used one!"

-

Inside the room, Yi Zhonghai plopped down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), grabbed a teacup and gulped down two mouthfuls. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He slammed the cup on the table with a "bang," making the enamel lid bounce.

An older woman slowly lifted the curtain and came in: "Why are you arguing with He Daqing? You've known that guy for a long time, he's stubborn and has a bad temper. Aren't you just asking for trouble?"